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Patented Aug; 23, I898. L. W. EVERHART.

W B E N C H (Application filed May 22, 1897.)

(No Model.)

lNVENTOR ZqgZZWWEwrM A BY 7 ATTORNEYS WITNESSES NrrED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOGAN W. EVERHART, OF OHANUTE, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ZAOI-IARY T. POSTLETHVVAITE AND ALONZO W. POSTLETIIWAITE, OF

SAME PLACE.

WRENCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part .of Letters Patent No. 609,762, dated August 23, 1898.

' Application filed May 22, 1897. Serial No. 687,750. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LOGAN W. EVERHART, residingat Ohanute, in the county of Neosho and State of Kansas, have invented a new and Improved Wrench, of which the following is a specification.

My invention, which is in the nature of a sliding-jaw wrench, primarily has for its object to provide a wrench of this character of a very simple and inexpensive nature, easily and quickly manipulated, adapted for ad:

to the said fixed jaw that the wrench can be set to grip any round iron from awire to the full-extended capacity of the jaws and in such a manner that the purchase or pull strain on the sliding jaw will be in a diagonal line, whereby to cause the teeth of the sliding jaw to positively grip the teeth of the shank.

With these objects in view, and others which will hereinafter appear, the invention con sists in a wrench embodying the peculiar combination and novel arrangement of parts, as will be first described in detail and then be specifically pointed out in the appended claim, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved wrench. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same, the sliding jaw being shown adjusted to its uppermost position in dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a detail section, partly in elevation, showing the sliding jaw released from the fixed shank-teeth. Fig. 4 is a cross-section taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 is a rear view of the upper portion of the wrench.

In the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals indicate corresponding parts in all the figures, 1 indicates the fixed jaw,which has an integral flat shank 2, the lower end of which terminates in a tang 2 to receive the tra thickness at the weakest point.

6 indicates the sliding jaw, which is in the nature of a casing, consisting of a front thick-. ened member'fi, a rear member 6", and the side plates 7 7, all of-which may be integrally formed.

The upper end of the thickened portion 6 terminates in a jaw 8, and the upper end of the side plates are cut inclined, as at 7, whereby to admit of the slidingjaw being slid up to its full extent, such inclined portions 7 fitting over the inclines 5 of the fixedjaw projections when such jaws are in their closed position, as clearly shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

The inner side of the member 6 has ratchetteeth 9 extending nearly one-half its length, which are normally held to engage the ratchetteeth 10 on the front edge of the fixed-jaw shank by a suitable spring 11, secured to the back wall of the sliding-jaw casing and held to engage the rear of the shank.-

The member 6 has its inner face, above the teeth 9, provided with a recess extending to apoint near the upper end, which is extended beyond theback of the sliding jaw and which terminates in a bearing portion 12, forming a fulcrum for such end when pressure is applied to the lower rear wall of the jaw-casing to cause its teeth to disengage the ratchetteeth 10, it being obvious that when it is desired to slide the movable jaw up or down it is only necessary to press against the rear edge, as such jaw is thus moved on the shank. As the space between the back of the sliding jaw and the shank extends to the extreme up per edge of the said back, the sliding jaw is freely disengaged from the teeth of the shank.

By referring now more particularly to Fig. 2 it will be observed the fixed jaw has a toothed grip-face which inclines at a slight angle upward from the outer end, as indicated by the broken line 14, While the sliding jaw, which may have either a smooth or toothed grip-face,

has such grip-face inclined upward, but at a more acute angle than the fixed jaw, as indicated by the broken line 15.

' By inclining the grip-faces of the jaws in the same direction, but convergingly, provides for gripping any sized round body from a small wire (see dotted lines, Fig. 2) to a pipe the full capacity of the separated distance of the jaws.

Another but essential advantage attained by inclining the grip-faces at different angles is it gives a purchase or pull strain diagonally across the teeth of the sliding jaw substantially parallel with the angle face of such ratchet-teeth, as indicated by the broken line 16.

It is manifest that owing to the difierent inclinations of the grip-faces of the jaws the pipe will be gripped by thetwo jaws in such a manner that the purchase or grip will be not at diametrically opposite points, (which would be the case were the j aw-faces parallel and at right angles to the shank,) but at diagonally opposite points, such gripping action efiecting a more positive bite on the pipe and at the same time transmitting the strain diagonally crosswise of the sliding jaw, and in consequence causing the teeth of such jaw to engage the ratchet-teeth of the shank in a positive manner and in such a way as to make slipping impossible.

By providing a wrench having the several parts constituting the same arrangement as shown the head or fixed j aw has great strength, while the sliding jaw is rigidly held by the purchase strain on the object being gripped.

As one of the objections to the use of wrenches of this character having a sliding jaw and a fixed jaw provided with parallel faces at right angles to the shank is that the purchase or pull strain is in a direct line parallel with the shank, (see broken 18, Fig. 2,)

and in consequence the teeth thereby caused to slip unless special tightening means are provided, the advantage of my invention will the fixed shank and having an inclined gripface 8, terminating at its inner end in a fulcrum-point12, normally engaging the fixed shank, said casing having a slotway of greater width than the fixed shank, a closed back portion and a bearing-spring for holding the casing in frictional contact on the fixed shank, and having an inner toothed portion 9, adapted to engage with the teeth of the fixed jaw, the inclined or abutting portions of the fixed jaw terminating at the inner edge of the clamp or engaging face of such fixed jaw, such inclines and the incline faces 7, of the sliding casing and its fulcrum-point 12, being relatively so arranged that when the sliding jaw is moved up to its limit, the inclined faces 7 and 5 5, will take up the abutting shock and the fulcrum-point 12, thereby relieved of undue wear, all being arranged substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

. LOGAN W. EVERHART. Witnesses:

B. F. SHINN, MARY DUDROW. 

